


Friends of Few Love Like You

by Queen_of_Nothing



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Gen, I have no idea what I'm doing, Kataang - Freeform, Katara - Freeform, Zuko - Freeform, Zuko/Happiness, Zutara, aang - Freeform, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 14:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21272963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_of_Nothing/pseuds/Queen_of_Nothing
Summary: On an ordinary day, Zuko sits in his study. Then Katara is there, bringing with her the wrath of a thousand suns. They end with a heart to heart.





	Friends of Few Love Like You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts).

> I have a very strange relationship with fanfiction which would take too many words to explain. But I once told myself I would never post fanfiction online, and that if I wrote it I would just keep it to myself. But I felt very strongly about this one and decided that I would share it. 
> 
> Also, I'm a new writer so feel free to tear into my work and give as much constructive criticism as you want. I'm all ears. 
> 
> I tried to edit this as best as I can, but I've also been working on it for several hours straight at this point and don't have the patience to let it sit before I post. So be forewarned. 
> 
> If you like this fic, you should thank MuffinLance because reading her stories inspired me to write it.

"I swear if this is some _weird _form of self-punishment Zuko, I'm going to hurt you!"

Zuko looked up from his desk, where he was looking over the newest trade agreement between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, to the Southern Waterbender who had just burst through the door to his study. She looked hysteric; her hair was frizzled, her blue Water Tribe robes wrinkled, and there were dark circles under the pair of pretty blue eyes that were _absolutely seething with fire right now. _Seriously, If looks could kill, well, Katara would have killed him a thousand times over before now, but certainly, this look would have been the one to completely destroyed him. They wouldn't even have to burn his body because there would just be absolutely nothing left. He was talking complete and utter destruction.

"I'm sorry?" he says with the raise of his one good eyebrow. He doesn't know why she's so upset, but she hasn't been this angry at him since before the end of the war and he's not sure what he's done but he's certain from the absolute fury radiating from her that he needs to apologize.

She marches over to him, spreads her hands on the desk in front of him, and leans so close that he can see the skin around her nose wrinkle in disdain. He's pressed flat against the back of his armchair.

Zuko has survived one hundred thirty-three assassination attempts but he wasn't sure if he'd survive this. 

Katara's face is uncomfortably close to his, her blue eyes peering in his gold frantically searching. For what? He does not know. He just remains there frozen until her shoulders start to slump and the snarl on her face slowly turns to a frown.

She sighs and turns her back to him.

"Katara?"

When she turns back around her face is carefully blank and there's a certain look in her eye that worries Zuko.

"You didn't have to do that, Zuko."

_What?_

"Katara, what are you talking about?"

What is she doing here was an even better question. Last he knew she was on a whole other continent with Toph and Aang. 

She had flown here, on Appa, she said. And had gone a whole day and a half without stopping.

"_Why?!"_

"Because you're getting married!" she threw her hands up, "that's why!"

_Oh_

Zuko rubbed at the back of his neck and stared at the trade deal on the table in front of him. He suddenly found it _very _interesting. Did you know the price of silk has gone up a whole twelve percent? That was a ridiculous price jump, he'd have to look into that. _Aaaand _she was still staring at him.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, I should have sent word-"

"Sent word, Zuko? Yes, you should have sent word! You should have sent word _months _ago. We're your friends! You're supposed to tell us these things! Instead, I found out one of my _best _friends was getting married because I heard two snobby Earth Kingdom nobles gossiping about it over tea!"

He felt that that was rather unfair. It's not like he had announced his official engagement without telling them. _H__e _can't help what the earth kingdom nobles gossip about. Yes, he hadbeen meaning to tell to them he just—

"Just what, Zuko?"

"I just knew you would all make a big deal about it, okay?"

Katara crossed her arms, her mouth opened but no words came out.

"Its not a big deal,” he attested.

"You're getting married, Zuko! That _is _a big deal. If you look under the definition of 'big deal' in the dictionary, 'Zuko’s Marriage' is written there in big red letters!"

He huffed, "Why do you care so much anyway? It's not like I forgot to invite you to the wedding."

The guest list hadn't even been drafted yet, but didn’t she know she’d be at the top it?

She was staring at him again with that carefully blank look. He squirmed in his seat.

"I just..don't...understand _why, _Zuko."

"Why I'm getting married?"

She pressed her lips together.

"_Yes."_

Zuko felt like there was more. 

"It's been seven years since I became Fire Lord,” he explained.

"So, what?"

“So_, __what? _Uncle is getting old. He won't be around forever," he didn't like to admit it, but he couldn't ignore it either, "And I have no child so the next legal heir to the throne, if anything is to ever happen to either of us, is Azula." He didn't think he needed to explain why that was a bad thing.

Katara glared at him, "So that's it, huh? You're-you're just going to marry some complete stranger so you can have an heir?"

“No! Well, kind of?”

Zuko didn't understand why she was so upset. Was the situation ideal? No, of course not. But it was expected. Zuko was the Fire Lord, it was rare that nobility married for love. Katara _knew _that. She had seen it happen over and over again. She had even attended King Kui's wedding and he married for the same reason Zuko wanted to.

Did she think he was like Toph when her mother tried to marry her off to that earth kingdom merchant? He wasn't. He was ready for this. He _wanted_ to do this.

"I know that, Zuko."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just don't understand!"

"What don't you understand?"

"Why you’re marrying her!" Her chest was rising in heavy heaves. There were tears in her eyes, "why-why are you marring some stranger?"

Zuko stared into her icy blue eyes and took in a short breath when he finally realized the unspoken question she was asking.

_Why isn't it me?_

It was then that a million little small moments came rushing to his mind. A touch here, a look there, friendly banter, and unspoken promises of things to come.

Things that never came.

Because she chose Aang.

It was an old wound that had slowly bled until he had managed to take the pieces of his heart and stitch them back together again. Mai had been there to help fill the gap for just a while but he knew that she had been like a loose cork. The hole was still there, the cork just kept things from spilling out faster.

Friends, that is what Zuko had finally written on the puzzle piece of his heart that had Katara's name on it. Good friends; but never to be lovers.

He was okay with that.

But now, this girl-this beautiful, strong, brave, girl-was standing in front of him crying because he was getting married to another woman.

He didn’t know what to do with that.

Zuko stood slowly from his chair, walked to her side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She was blinking away tears.

"Katara?"

She let out a shuddering sigh and looked up at him with a tearful smile.

"I"m sorry," her smile fell, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Zuko wrapped her in a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I think I do."

She stiffened, pulled away from him and looked him firmly in the eyes.

"I love Aang,” she swore.

"I know."

Katara sighed, her shoulders slumping. She fell back against him, "Then-then why am I sad?"

Zuko was quiet for a long moment. He had spent years trying to dig inside her mind in order to figure out what had happened between them. He did that now, searching so that maybe they could both understand.

"I think," Zuko began slowly, "I think you loved us both."

She sniffled, “I did.”

"You could only choose one though,” he took in a deep breath, “you chose Aang."

Silence.

"I used to dream about us Katara," his grip on her tightened, "about-about our future," that one word conveyed more than he could say in thousands, "and then after the war, it took me years to let it all go, and it took letting go of more than just the dreams.”

There was a part of him that had shattered all those years ago when he turned on his father. He had shoved all the love that his new friends offered him into the giant void that was left. But, after the war, his heart was all one jumbled mess. There were so many parts stuck in the wrong places, and the web that was weaved complicate. It could only be unraveled carefully with time.

“Sometimes we just need time to grieve, Katara,” something he knew she would struggle with because it would feel like a betrayal. It wasn’t. “Even if we’re losing something we don't want or need, it’s still a loss.”

Her tears had dried now, her breathing was slow and even. A comfortable silence had settled over the two as he held her in his arms.

"I didn't want to break your heart," she spoke at last.

"I know."

There was a pause.

"He _needed _me.”

He placed a careful kiss upon her head, letting himself love her for just one moment.

"I know," he said, and he truly did. 

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lot I could say here but I'll try and keep it short for the sake of everyone time. 
> 
> Personally, I love Zuko and feel he was done dirty in the comics. What he deserves is a happy ending. 
> 
> This actually started as a Zuko doesn't marry Mai fic because their relationship sucks butts. Don't get me wrong, Zutara makes for an amazing love story but I wanted to write something that I could at least pretend was cannon compliant. But I suppose in my musing I subconsciously felt that I needed to address the romantic tension the show left unaddressed between Zuko and Katara so it wouldn't be screaming in the back of my mind all the time.
> 
> To all you Kataangers out there, I like Kataang. But I think the writing for it in the series was poorly done and that the comics are just adding the fuel to people's hate. So my desire is to subtly write it into this story, but make it better. And that requires Katara to have the personality and feelings the comics are depriving her of, if only for a moment. Because I really think she did love Zuko, but that doesn't mean she didn't love Aang as well. 
> 
> There is a lot that slid into this fic when I was writing that I would love to address further in future fiction. I will be honest here and tell you I'm not sure if I'll get to write it or not as I don't have a terrible amount of time. 
> 
> This show has ruined me.
> 
> Thanks again to MufflinLance. She writes Gen but her copious amounts of Zuko awakened in me a desire to write this. Zuko must be happy!


End file.
